


Stories of Heroes

by stepOnMeZenos



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M, Mentioned Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Mentioned Zenos yae Galvus, Post-Canon, Storytelling, ZenoHika Week 2020 (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26142763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stepOnMeZenos/pseuds/stepOnMeZenos
Summary: Long after the passing of the star's greatest heroes, people tell each other of their tales and adventures; for inspiration, or perhaps simply to find joy.ZenoHika Week day 5, prompt: Book
Relationships: Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 12





	Stories of Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> I reread the one I had prepared for today and decided I hated it, so I just wrote something else on a whim.

_Somewhere, somewhen in the far future of this star..._

Children clamour around the old woman as she settles down in a well-worn armchair, a heavy tome in hand. The fireplace crackles; the last golden rays of a setting sun brighten the lush carpet. When the woman hushes the children, the soft murmur of a stream passing by the house reaches their ears. 

All is well. 

“Now, what kind of story do you want to hear today?“ The old woman smiles warmly as the children slowly settle down on the chairs and even on the ground around her. 

“Tell us more about the beast and the hunter!“ a child in the back shouts. 

“Now now, you need not be so loud. I can still hear just fine.“ Nonetheless, the woman opens her book and flips to a page somewhere in the middle. “Where did I stop last time? Ah… yes. The beast stood at a crossroad, and decided to forsake his loyalties to his home in favour of staying with the hunter. Obligations to his homeland and even familial loyalty paled in comparison to the bond they shared. It is said that he did not even hesitate when called upon to make his choice. 

“Thenceforth, he stood by his hunter's side, always and forever. Thus ended the story of how they weathered a storm of blood together, but it was not the end of their tale. They went on many adventures together, one of which I will tell you of today.“

“Did it involve dragons and demons?“ a child asked. 

The woman smiled. “Yes and no. For you see, the beast's departure from the empire did not come without consequences. The beast's father was beyond furious, for he had planned to make use of his son to subjugate the rest of the star. In his rage, he decided to unveil his newest and greatest weapon...“ 

She paused to pour herself a glass of water. The children made sure to fill the ensuing silence.

“A magic sword?“

“A big airship?“

“No, ancient machinery, I know the Garlean empire used those all the time, our history teacher said so!“

The woman laughed. “Patience, patience. All of your suggestions would have made fine weapons, but what he brought to bear against his foes was none of those things.“ She placed her glass back down on the table and picked the book up once more. “In the secrecy of his palace, he had ordered the development of a mist that would steal the breath of those it enveloped. The first tests sparked fear in the hearts of those who yet opposed the empire, for how does one defend against an unseen thief that will not be barred by any walls?

“But that was not the worst of it.“

The sound of the page being flipped over felt too loud in the room, only accompanied by the fire crackling. The children listened with rapt attention. 

“The hunter would have risen to the occasion, of course. It was inconceivable that he would not give his all to stopping such an unprecedented menace. However, there was a different call that he had to heed… one that would take him far away from every land he had ever known. Thus, the burden of stopping the emperor's plans fell onto the beast, now left alone without his hunter.“ 

“Why didn't he go with him?“

“Ah, but then who would have remained to defend this star? Much though it hurt both of them to be separated so soon again, they knew it was necessary. The hunter departed to his new hunting grounds, while the beast stood tall against the encroaching empire. However, no amount of victories on the battlefield would save them from the mist that threatened to descend upon them. And so the beast departed from the land that was known as Eorzea then as well—to return to his homeland, albeit not as the emperor's son, but as the one who would save Eorzea from her doom. 

“It was a perilous journey. The beast, knowing he could not well return as he was and expect to be greeted with open arms, disguised himself as a common soldier, a measure that allowed him to venture deep into the empire without being troubled. It was here that he brought down the manufacturies for the mist. They were far and few between; the mist was dangerous to produce, and could only safely be handled in specially equipped facilities. Once these facilities were wiped off the map, the danger would be averted… or so the beast thought, at least.

“The plan proceeded apace. With how crafty and strong the beast was, the laboratory staff could do little to deter him from destroying the mist step by step. However…“

One would have been able to hear a pin drop when she stopped speaking for a second. 

“On his way to the final facility, which was located in the capital itself, he encountered—himself.

“A stranger wearing his face stepped into his path but moments ere he could finish his duty.“

“One of the shadowless ones!“ a child sitting off to the side said. 

The old woman wagged a finger. “Ah ah ah, what did I say about spoiling the surprises?“

“Sorry.“

“Well, what's done is done, and I would have revealed it in a moment either way. Yes, it was one of the shadowless ones, come to ensure that doom would befall Eorzea and her people. It was they who advised the emperor to take this course; they who whispered the secrets of the mist into his ear. Of course they would not sit idly while the beast ruined their plans for the star.

“Their battle carried them all the way over into the throne room, where the beast's father awaited. It was there that the beast was poised to deal the finishing blow to the shadowless one wearing his face… when the shadowless one made an offer.

“'Join us,' he said with the beast's own voice. 'Join us, and we shall spare your hunter. You, more than anyone, should stand with us.'

“The beast paused mid-strike and asked for clarification, but the shadowless one merely answered that the beast's father, who had been silent up till now, should answer that. However, in that split second where the beast's attention turned to his father, the shadowless one used his foul magicks to vanish into thin air. He had escaped; battered and beaten, but with his life.

“That also meant that nobody would be there to bar the beast's path a second time, but of course, he needed to know what exactly the shadowless one spoke of first. He turned to his father and once more asked for clarification—demanded it this time, in fact. However, he was ill prepared for the truth his father laid out for him for the first time.

“The beast's great-grandfather—the founder of the empire—was one of the shadowless ones as well. He, as well as his father, carried that selfsame blood in their veins. It is thus that the beast had come to possess such unnatural power.

“The beast—well, the beast was not prone to being fazed easily, and so he shrugged and went back to his work, or tried to; for it was in that moment that his father the emperor declared that he would stop at nothing to get the mist production back on track, that the beast's hunter may finally fall to the one foe even he could not defend against. 

“This was something the beast could not let happen, no matter what. He knew he would not be able to convince his father to change his way. There was only one solution he could see. He had to strike his father down, for the good of the star.“ 

The woman paused to check for the children's reactions; was patricide too much for them?

“Well, he deserved it,“ one child said, frowning. “He would have killed the hunter.“

Evidently not, although that answer was perhaps a little bit concerning. The woman made a mental note to check back with that particular child later, then continued. 

“Without their leader, the empire did not have the coordination to pursue their original plans, or to restart the mist production. The beast returned to Eorzea after all was said and done, and who would greet them but his hunter, having returned hale and whole from his own adventure? It was a joyous reunion, so they say, though the details have long been lost to history. Thus, the realm was saved once more, and the people took to the streets to cheer their heroes on...“

“How much of this is actually true?“ an older child who had not yet spoken asked.

The woman closed her book; the story was finished, and she had told it so often that the book was more of a prop than anything. “In truth, we don't quite know. These tales have been repeated so often that they've changed over time. We know the hunter and his beast did truly exist, though we have several surviving versions of their adventures. In some, the beast accompanies the hunter to the far-off lands, and leaves dealing with the mist to someone else. In others, there was never any mist at all. I prefer this version of the tale, though.“ 

The child pondered about this for a moment, then nodded solemnly. “I like this one too.“

“What about the rest? How did you like it?“

Affirmative cheering all around. 

“Tell us another!“

“Yes, I want to hear another story!“

The woman looked out of the window. “It's getting awfully late to start another story now. I think you should all go home, before it gets really dark. I'll be sure to pick out an exciting one for tomorrow.“

Though there was some pouting, the children obediently filed out of the room. What a good group she'd been blessed with in recent years. 

Tomorrow, she would tell them the story of what the hunter had been doing in the meantime, and elaborate more on how they had saved each other by their actions. 

Yes. That would be a good story to tell.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments appreciated.


End file.
